DANIEL SMITH » * Special “Hands On” Events

We “Heart” DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors – Recent FREE Demo with Melinda Hannah

Deborah Burns — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:50:33 +0000

Melinda Hannah "Portraits Painted with DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors" Demo

Recently for a Special FREE Friday Demo at the DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store, Melinda Hannah was demonstrating Portraits using DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors.

This 3 hour demo we had scheduled in a “Hands On” period to work with the PrimaTek Watercolors in exercises that Melinda Hannah had suggested painting out….”Hearts“.

When she first suggested it I was thinking that hearts seemed a silly subject for an exercise, but I was game to support Melinda with it. Well, was I surprised by the creative results - Great Idea Melinda!

"Hands On" painting PrimaTek Hearts with Melinda Hannah

Usually when people do paint outs to test color combinations they use a square or rectangle (maybe a circle or free-form) shape to apply their paint. There is something inherently ridged about painting in some of those shapes, that dampens the creative process, you know….”keep inside the lines!” Well, hearts are inherently an expressive shape and are fun to work with too.

Everyone began with tracing out the heart shape in pencil accross their paper and was the last of any formality….

Watching the hearts being painted out and seeing the colors blend in with one another, merging and producing beautiful painterly effects was almost magical. There was no worry about keeping inside the lines of the penciled heart, in fact the painted outlines became expressive lines as people used them only as reference for fluid brush strokes.

Some of the combinations that were tried while I watched were Rhodonite Genuine (Rhodonite video), Serpentine Genuine, Zoisite Genuine, and

Bloodstone Genuine. Melinda made suggestions of some color combinations to try, encouraged experimentation and sometimes called “STOP”, so that the hearts weren’t overworked loosing the cool effects.

Here are 9 plus 9 more Hearts I played around with over the weekend in this slide show. I used the 4 PrimaTeks listed above plus: Amethyst Genuine, Hematite Genuine, and Jadeite Genuine. FYI, in the slide show I mislabeled the last two hearts of the first 9, they are actually Rhodonite and Hematite, and Jadeite and Hematite.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think this is a fun way (exercise) to get “unstuck” with creatively by playing with different color combinations in repeating heart shapes, sort of like a jazz musician doing jazz riffs to loosen up.,

Thanks Melinda for the demo and the fun “Hands On” exercise!

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

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FREE Friday Demo with Melinda Hannah: “Watercolor Techniques With Primatek Paints, Including Portraits” at Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store

Deborah Burns — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:33:36 +0000

FREE Friday Demo with Melinda Hannah: "Watercolor Techniques with Primatek Paints, Including Portraits"

This Friday, March 12th, our DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store will be having another Special FREE Friday demo with Melinda Hannah who will be demonstrating “Watercolor Techniques With Primatek Paints, Including Portraits“. Melinda feels that PrimaTek watercolors with their “amazing textures…add contemporary flair to traditional portraiture.”

This demo will also have a 20 minuet “hands on” time where attendees will be able to play with the PrimaTek paints themselves testing different color combinations based some exercises directed by Melinda. This should be a fun way to experience and learn about PrimaTek watercolors.

Melinda will be working on 3 portraits for the demo, and some of the DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors that Melinda will be using are:

Amethyst Genuine - deep granulating purple

Azurite Genuine - brilliant granulating sky blue

Bloodstone Genuine - deep granulating graed violet

Hematite Violet - soft granulating grayed violet

Jadeite Genuine - granulating jade green

Piemontite Genuine - violet-brown granulation with a carmine tone

Rhodonite Genuine - brilliant rose pink

Sedona Genuine - golden granulating brown

Serpentine Genuine -warm granulating green

Tiger’s Eye Genuine - brownish gold

Yavapai Genuine - warm granulating brown

Zoisite Genuine - lush granulating green

Update: The time for this demo is 3:30pm to 6pm tomorrow, Friday March 12th. Thanks to Joan for asking about the time for the demo!

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More March/April 2010 Seattle Store FREE Demos – Click here

More March/April 2010 Bellevue Store FREE Demos – Click here

Come for Fun, Information and Inspiration!

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

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DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors and DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Stick Extravaganza!

Deborah Burns — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:43:53 +0000

DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolor and Watercolor Stick Extravaganza: Special "Hand On" event to them "Try Out"

This past weekend we had a Special, FREE “Hands On” Art Event, our DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors and DS Extra Fine Watercolor Stick Extravaganza!

Instead of our regular FREE “How To” Weekend Art demos at our Seattle Store and Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Stores this past weekend, we offered one of our Special “Hands On” Art Events. These “Hands On” Events allow everyone who attends the opportunity to try out the Art Supplies featured at the Event.

The Seattle Store had Annie Van Engelen in the Gallery/Demo room demonstrating, answering questions and encouraging everyone to paint using the PrimaTek Watercolors and the Watercolor Sticks on various watercolor papers: Yupo paper, UArt Sanded Pastel Paper (wasn’t out but you could use the Wallis Archival Sanded Pastel [mulit media] Papers) and Fredrix Archival Watercolor Canvas Pad.

The Bellevue Store had Artists Sales Associates Craig on Saturday, and Joe on Sunday, demonstrating and answering questions at the “Try It” table set up near the front of the store while customers tried out our DS PrimaTek Watercolors and DS Watercolor Sticks for themselves.

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

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After Christmas “Hands On” Event with DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors and DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Sticks!

Deborah Burns — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:12:07 +0000

DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors ready for the "Try It" table

For our after Christmas FREE weekend demos at both our Seattle and Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Stores we are having a Special Hands On Event, our PRIMATEK & WATERCOLOR STICK EXTRAVAGANZA!

We will have our “Try It” tables set up so you can try our DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors and our DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Sticks. This is a fun way to find out more about our PrimaTek and Watercolor Sticks…by using them! We will have one of our Artist Sales Associates available to answer questions and offer guidance while you try them out during the times posted below.

Saturday, December 26th at 11am to 1:45pm Hands On Fun!

Sunday, December 27th from 12 to 2pm Hands On Fun!
PRIMATEK & WATERCOLOR STICK EXTRAVAGANZA
Join the store staff to learn how to add these unique colors and products to your palette

Come for Fun, Information and Inspiration!

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

This weekends’ FREE Art Event & Demo at the Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Store: Cardmaking with Kari Foteff and Watercolor with Cheryl Renee Long

Deborah Burns — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:50:37 +0000

Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Store

This weekend at the DANIEL SMITH Bellevue Store for our FREE Demos, we are having a Special Hands On Event on Cardmaking and a Watercolor Demo.

Saturday Strathmore Rep Kari Foteff will be hosting a Special Hands On Event on Cardmaking. Kari will have a cardmaking project that everyone will get to do for this “Hands on Event” and everyone get to make some cards. If you would like to learn more about Strathmore Creative products, get some fun ideas, and make some cards at this FREE Special Event then planning on coming for some fun!

"Hands On" Cardmaking with Kari Foteff from Strathmore - April 2009

Saturday, August 8th from 12 to 2 pm Special Time!
STRATHMORE: Card Making
Kari Foteff
strathmoreartist.com

Sunday Artist Cheryl Renee Long will be demonstrating Watercolor: The Edge of Abstraction. You can see examples of her work (Cheryl’s Art ) and how she simplifies her shapes so that they become more abstracted, glorious color too. Come to this FREE Watercolor demo to watch and learn some tips great tips from Cheryl.

Sunday, August 9th at 12 & 2 pm
WATERCOLOR: The Edge of Abstraction
Cheryl Renee Long
cherylrlong.com

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

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This weekends’ FREE Art Events at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store: DS Digital Print Center Q & A with Justin Viau and Cardmaking with Kari Foteff

Deborah Burns — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:50:23 +0000

DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store: The Store For Artists

This weekend we are having a couple of different FREE Demos/Special Events at the DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store.

Saturday we will have a Q & A session on the DANIEL SMITH Digital Print Center (which opened last March) with Seattle DS Store Staff Member Justin Viau who is the “Go To Guy” for the Digital Print Center. Justin will talk about what the DS Digital Print Center can do for you, answer your questions, and show examples of the Center’s printing capabilities. If you have been curious about the new Digital Print Center and it’s services, this would be a great time to find out more.

Saturday, August 8th from 11 am to 1 pm – Special Time!
DANIEL SMITH DIGITAL PRINT CENTER: Q & A
Justin Viau
justinv113.net

"Hands On" Cardmaking with Kari Foteff from Strathmore - April 2009

Sunday we will have a Special Hands On Event on Cardmaking with Strathmore Rep Kari Foteff. Kari will have a cardmaking project that everyone will get to do for this “Hands on Event” and everyone get to make some cards. If you would like to learn more about Strathmore Creative products, get some fun ideas, and make some cards at this FREE Special Event then planning on coming for some fun!

Sunday, August 9th from 1 to 3 pm – Special Time!
STRATHMORE: Cardmaking
Kari Foteff
strathmoreartist.com

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

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This Weekends FREE Art Demos: Watercolor & Mask Making at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store with Jo Gersham, Roger Wheeler and Molly Le Master

Deborah Burns — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:13:24 +0000

DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store: The Store For Artists

Want to find out about How to Paint in Watercolor? Well, one of our FREE 1 hour “How To” Art Demos this coming Saturday at the DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store is an introduction to Watercolor. Jo Gersham will be demonstrating the basics of Watercolor Painting” at 11am and 1:45pm with her WATERCOLOR: From the Very Beginning” demo. So if you have ever wondered how to get started with watercolor painting, then come to this FREE demo and find out! Jo is also having an expanded “WATERCOLOR: From the Very Beginning” Workshop on Sunday Aug 30th from 11 to 5.

Saturday, August 1st at 11 am & 1:45 pm
WATERCOLOR: From the Very Beginning
Jo Gershman
jogershman.com
Don’t miss Jo’s WATERCOLOR: From the Very Beginning” Workshop August 30th Seattle Store!

Also on Saturday, we have Roger Wheeler and his “MASK MAKING: 3D Renewable Materials” FREE “Hands On” demo from 12 to 2pm. This is a special “Hands On” event which means that you not only get to watch and learn, you get to DO as well! If you have ever been to the Fremont Solstice Parade, then you have seen some of Rogers’ students work in the parade since he teaches workshops in maskmaking for the Fremont Solstice Parade.

Saturday, August 1st from 12 to 2 pm Hands On!
MASK MAKING: 3D Renewable Materials
Roger Wheeler
maskmadness.com

On Sunday, Molly LeMaster will be showing texture making techniques in Watercolor in her WATERCOLOR: Textured Methods FREE demos at 12 & 2pm. Come and learn some new techniques in watercolor painting!

Sunday, August 2nd at 12 & 2 pm
WATERCOLOR: Textured Methods
Molly LeMaster
lemasterstudios.com

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

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It’s an all Watercolor Weekend for FREE Demos at the DANIEL SMITH Stores in Seattle and Bellevue with Tom Hoffmann: “Fearless Watercolor”, Maria Coryell-Martin: “Keeping a Travel Journal”, and Che Lopez: “Paint Flowers with Mom”

Deborah Burns — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:00:07 +0000

DANIEL SMITH Artists' Materials

This coming weekend’s FREE Demos at the DANIEL SMITH Stores (Reminder: Mother’s Day is Sunday!) are all about how to paint in Watercolor from three different Watercolor Artists:

Seattle DANIEL SMITH

Saturday, May 9th at 11 am & 1:45 pm
WATERCOLOR: Fearless Watercolor
Tom Hoffmann

Bellevue DANIEL SMITH
Saturday, May 9th at 11 am & 1:45 pm
WATERCOLOR: Keeping a Travel Journal
Maria Coryell-Martin
expeditionaryart.com
Don’t miss Maria’s Workshop June 14th Bellevue Store !

Bellevue DANIEL SMITH
Sunday (Mother’s Day!) May 10th from 12 to 2 pm Hands On!
WATERCOLOR: Paint Flowers with Mom
Che Lopez
artofche.com
Join the fun with refreshments and a free flower for every mom!

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Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store will have on Saturday, two FREE 1 hour demos with Tom Hoffmann from the Gage Academy of Art . Tom will be showing everyone to how to approach Watercolor Painting Fearlessly, Tom states in his Gage bio; “Realizing the potential of watercolor involves taking chances….” find out from Tom how learning to take those chances confidently, and fearlessly allows your watercolors to glow in your paintings.

Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Store will have on Saturday, two FREE 1 hour demos with Maria Coryell-Martin: Expeditionary Artist . Maria will be sharing her tips on Keeping a Watercolor Travel Journal. Maria is truly an expert, as an Expeditionary Artist, she documents her world wide travels (to places like Antarctica) with her Watercolor Travel Journals and her blog . You will find these to be fascinating demos learning more about her trips, and find out how you can make your own interesting Travel Journals on your travels this summer.

Sunday, it’s Mother’s Day, and the Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Store will have a Special, FREE “Hands On” Watercolor Event for two hours with Che Lopez . This will be “Watercolor Painting Flowers with Mom” here at the Bellevue Store. From noon to 2pm you can come and Paint Flowers in Watercolor (Che will be there to help you!) with your Mom, or if you are the Mom, with your child. What a fun activity to share together! The Bellevue DANIEL SMITH will provide all the art materials to have fun with your Mom painting flowers together. There will be refreshments and a FREE flower for Mom! Happy Mother’s Day!

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

How to use the New DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolor Sticks: FREE Demo and “Hands On” Event with Che Lopez

Deborah Burns — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:00:45 +0000

Che Lopez demonstrating "How To" paint using the new DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Sticks

Yesterday’s FREE demo at the DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store and “Hands On” Event with Che Lopez was all about the play-full, and expressive nature of the New DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolor Sticks ….very appropriate given the playful, funny and expressive presentation by Che! Che is not your average Watercolor Artist, oooh no, Che Lopez is ALSO a US Boxing Coach , and “knocked us out” with his jokes and humorous approach to watercolor painting/drawing with the DS Watercolor Sticks.

Che began each of the two, FREE 1 hour demos by showing us different ways of working with the new Watercolor Sticks:

Drawing with the Watercolor Sticks (both on dry and wet paper) TIP: use a Lyra-Orlow Graphite Holder to hold the WC Stick when it becomes short.
Make a point by sharpening it with a Lyra Sharpener (save the shavings).
Dissolve the shavings in small containers to paint with using a brush.
Dissolve the shavings in a spray bottle to spray the Watercolor on to Watercolor paper to add “tone”.
Drawing with the Watercolor Sticks, then using a brush to dissolve the line partially or totally.
Wiping your brush on the bottom of the Watercolor Sticks and painting directly onto the paper.
Mixing shavings of different colors in small containers to make secondary colors (ex: Quinacridone Coral with Hansa Yellow medium for flesh tones, and adding Quinacridone Burnt Orange for darker tones)
Dipping the Watercolor Stick into water and drawing with it wet.
Grinding the Watercolor Stick into a porcelain dish that has been lightly sprayed with water to make paste to paint with, you can mix colors this way too.

Che started his Watercolor painting/drawing using the Watercolor Sticks for a portrait of a Boxer. Working from a photograph, Che first added tone to his Arches 300 lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper by spraying some dissolved Watercolor Stick in Hansa Yellow Medium onto the paper. Then sketched in the face on the toned and wet Watercolor paper using his New Gamboge Watercolor Stick. Che than began working on creating the portrait using all of the techniques outlined above. For most of the brush work, Che used one of his favorite brushes, the Windsor Newton Regency Gold.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While painting/drawing, Che talked us through what he was doing and answered questions from the group. One of the things Che told us was that working with the DS Watercolor Sticks, “takes [Che] back to my childhood and the play-fullness of drawing with crayons.” Che said that he finds using the Watercolor Sticks to be “very spontaneous“. Once he was nearing completion, Che said he would’ “hit it with Big, BIG color” we all laughed…great finish for a Boxing Coach / Watercolor Artist!

"Hands On" portion of the FREE demo of the new DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolor Sticks with Watercolor Artist Che Lopez

When Che finished his portrait, it was time for the “Hands On” portion of the demo and everyone was eager to try the DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Sticks for themselves.

Thanks Che!

Every Day,

Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns

Spring Pastel Event with Barbara VanDyke-Shuman at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store for one of the Many FREE Demos

Deborah Burns — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:32:56 +0000

The Pastel "Try It" Table near the Pastel Aisle at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store for the Annual Spring Pastel Event

Our Annual DANIEL SMITH Stores’ Spring Pastel Weekend Event arrived this past weekend. Not only did we finally have beautiful Spring Day here in Seattle, there was lots to watch and learn at our all of our many FREE demos , and to try at our Pastel “Try It” tables all weekend long!

I attended most of the first hour of Barbara VanDyke-Shuman’s 2 hour demo (11am to 1pm) with her talking and showing everyone how she creates her Pastel landscapes. Be sure to visit the Gallery section of her website to see her pastel work.

First I want to pass on to you is, one of the things Barbara told the audience after some questions were being asked about 15 minuets into the demo, was that she learned the answers to many of HER questions about using Pastels and other art materials by attending the FREE demos at DANIEL SMITH! And, if you did not know already, there are also available on the DANIEL SMITH website in the “Art Tutorials, Articles and Techniques ” link at the bottom of the homepage a great selection of “How To” articles, here is the link for Pastel Tutorials .

Okay, back to Barbara’s demo….

Barbara VanDyke-Shuman Pastel Demo at the Annual Spring Pastel Event at DANIEL SMITH

Barbara likes to work in Plein Aire when she can, so she usually works at an easel. TIP Here: when working on an easel, Barbara has made an inexpensive pastel tray to catch the pastel dust by folding a mat board into a tray. She scores the mat board a couple of inches from the bottom, then scores it again on the same side the width of her easel tray area. Barbara then bends at the first score to a 90 degree angle, then at the second score also with a 90 degree angle with the major part of the mat board upright. Then she lays the mat board in her easel tray so that she can now rest her pastel panel in the mat board tray on her easel. The now cupped shaped mat board collects the pastel dust for easier clean up.

When working in the studio, Barbara works from her thumbnail sketches, and at first studies values in the sketch with a “Picture Perfect Value Finder “. Then, working on Wallis Sanded Paper or UART400 , Barbara tacks the paper down, then lays down some pastel in large, rough areas to give herself a good, color ground to work from. Using orderless mineral spirits and a brush, she smooths the pastel ground and then lets it dry before beginning her real pastel work using her sketch as a reference, photo too if she has one.

Some of the art supplies Barbara uses include:

Pastels (Unison , Rembrant , Sennelier , and Nupastels ) Sanded Pastel Paper: UART400 , Wallis Sanded Paper , Arches Cover , Finger cots , Pastel Primer, Rubber tipped blender, Brushes , Odorless Mineral Spirits, Barrier Cream, Color Wheel.

Thank you Barbara!

Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….

~Deborah Burns